Right Picture help you sell more

Product photos are one of the most important factors to keep in mind when is you are starting to sell products online. Your product photos are the corner stone of your site, they are key sellers of just about any product. Product photos aren’t only essential on your ecommerce website, but often they are what is shared on social media, featured in advertisements etc. It’s a good idea to hire a professional photographer to take your photos, but when time and budget don’t permit you can use the below product photography tips to help you get the professional quality that attracts and wows customers.

0) Use your own photos

I made this one 0 because I assume if you are reading about product photography tips you already have this one, but just in case you are thinking of skipping all of the fuss and just using those stock images the wholesaler sent you STOP!!!! Your product photos are what sell your business and make it unique, so if you are using photos that every other store owner is using then you aren’t helping set the tone for you business and sometimes you are leaving a door open for competitors to find where you get your products from and copy. So keep reading this and get ready to take some photos

1) Keep the product to be photographed clean

The single most aim of the product photographer is to ensure that the product looks nice and attractive in the picture.Given the high resolution cameras being used nowadays, a little bit of dirt, dent, or imperfection can also be clearly visible in the picture. Hence the first step towards a good product photo is to ensure that it is completely clean this also goes for the surrounding area, step back an ensure that everything that will be in the photo is free of imperfections.

2) Pay close attention to lighting

The first give away of an amateur photography shots is bad lighting. Dim lighting, to bright, glares, even uneven lighting are all issue I see daily building ecommerce website. Natural light is the most ideal lighting option for any kind of product photos and should be used whenever possible. It is surprising in expensive to purchase lighting kits and light boxes that will help you achieve proper lighting when natural light isn’t available. Here are 2 kits under $100 I recommended and new online store owner purchase

3) Click the product against a clean neutral background

Product photos taken against a neutral and clean background always looks best, as there is optimum focus on the object and not the background. A white or solid background is usually preferred, but there are some cases where a textured back ground will also work. Texture and or props is usually good when it help set the tone of the product. Take this picture for example of clothing from an online vintage clothing store, here the brick wall background also helps communicate the old fashion culture of the store.

4) Use a tripod

A steady hand is important and often hard to achieve when taking photos, to help with that it is a good idea to use a tripod while clicking product photos as even a slight movement can distort the photo due to motion blur. Using a tripod also ensures that the pictures have a good amount of sharpness in them. Tripods are available in various heights and sizes and there are even some designed to hold smart phones.

5) Take the photographs from an angle

A product photo taken from an angle provides a three dimensional view that is much more attractive in comparison to a face -on orthographic view. Also ensure that the distance between the object and the camera is perfect where the product is far enough so it can be zoomed in while taking the shot.This gives the picture much more clarity in comparison to a photo taken from a closer distance as it might look distorted.

6) Create a sense of scale

A sense of scale is created by putting another common object in the picture with the product. The common object can be something related like a pencil next to a note book that is for sale or just average item like a quarter or dime. The purpose of the object is to help the customer visualize the size and scale of the product. Oh course you’ll put the measurements of item in the the product description, but giving the visual ques will also help to enhance the customers online shopping experience.

7) Place the product in an environment that people associate with it naturally

This is goes along with our 3rd product photography tip, It is always helps to click product photos next to items that are naturally associated with it. For example if the product is a pair of shoes it looks best when the picture shows the feet of a person wearing the shoe or if the shoes are running sneakers, place them on a track for the photo. This helps the viewers to visualize the product better.

8) Always focus more on the product than the model

This is another common mistake I see store owners makes, is they feature models that distract from the item. Your model should be attractive and compliment the product but not over made up or accessorized to distract from the product.

9) Show product variations in the photo

If a product is available in various color options it is always advisable that they are all displayed in a set as opposed to having one product and mentioning in words that it is available in multiple color options. Giving all the details visually makes the product photos look much more appealing and attractive.

10) Edit, Edit, Edit,- Always edit the product photos before putting them up on the website.

I always see photos that are straight from camera phone to the online store. Before loading to your store or even social media take a moment to do some basic editing to the photo such as uniformity in the size of the photos, final touch ups like color correction, and cropping. These can greatly impact the final quality of the product photos and the overall image of your site

Follow these simple product photography tips and you will be surprised at how attractive the results are. Attractive are proven to help increse traffic to your online website and result in more sales.